To 'Indefatigable' Pelosi, Sawyer Wonders What Her Dad and Mom 'Would Have Said About this Moment?'

the Steven P.J. Wood Senior Fellow and Vice President for Research and Publications

ABC anchor Diane Sawyer shared the glow of House Speaker Nancy
Pelosi's victory of health, showing her, in an "ABC News exclusive"
interview, a Washington Post with the headline of "Democrats Claim
Health Votes" as she wondered: "What do you think your dad and your
mom would have said about this moment?" Sawyer followed up: "Did
your dad have a phrase, a sentence that meant the most to you when he'd
say it to you, or your mom?" Pelosi's answer, "make sure you have the
votes," cracked up Sawyer, who chuckled: "No so sentimental."

Sawyer framed her sit-down by trumpeting Pelosi's power, teasing at
the top of World News: "Our exclusive interview with the woman now
called the most powerful Speaker in one hundred years."

Setting up the interview excerpts, Sawyer heralded how "she's said
to have done it with an epic blend of persuasion, muscle,"
describing Pelosi as the "indefatigable,, unwavering almost 70-year-old
Speaker, mother of five, grandmother of seven." After fretting about how
"there was such vitriol around the Capitol and also inside the room
last night," Sawyer told Pelosi: "The Economist said that you are
arguably the most powerful woman in American history. A Brown university
professor has said you are certainly the most powerful Speaker in one
hundred years."

And, in a question best filed under "oh, now you get around to it,"
Sawyer raised how Medicare costs far more than predicted:

As you know, there's great anxiety in the country about
the potential cost of this bill. We went back and looked and in 1967,
the projected cost by 1990 of Medicare was $12 billion. What really
happened is it was $107 billion, which is more than eight times what
they projected it would cost. What guarantee is there to the American
people that this won't similarly balloon out of control?

Pelosi promised "we're addressing some of the ballooning controls of
Medicare and taking those down." Huh?

Last year, upon passage of a
"stimulus" bill, CBS's Katie Couric giggled along with Pelosi,
acting like a teenage girl gossiping about a friend's boyfriend in
wondering about President Obama: "Can you tell us anything he said to
you, like 'get cracking'?" CyberAlert
post, with video.

Back in January of 2007 when Pelosi was sworn in as Speaker, then-ABC
anchor Charles Gibson opened World News by trumpeting how, video of
Speaker Nancy Pelosi on the House floor holding a baby while she talked
to colleagues, demonstrated "the ultimate in multitasking: Taking
care of the children and the country."CyberAlert post. Video.

Sawyer, setting up the interview excerpt aired on the Monday, March
22 World News on ABC:

All agree she gets credit for locking up this vote, one
of the biggest since Medicare in the 1960s. And she's said to have done
it with an epic blend of persuasion, muscle and will even when half the
town said it couldn't be done.

Last night, they cheered her in the chamber and lining up in front of
her office. Their indefatigable,, unwavering almost 70-year-old
Speaker, mother of five, grandmother of seven. She is powerful and
polarizing. Republicans say they'll run against her in the November
elections, but politics is in her DNA. Her father, a Congressman and
Mayor of Baltimore, there in a wheelchair when she was sworn in to
Congress. He did not live to see her become the first female Speaker. We
talked to her in the room where the President called her last night to
thank her.

Sawyer's "questions" to Pelosi:

- So this was the room where President Obama called you.
The two of you talked in here last night. What did you say to each
other?
- As you know, there was such vitriol around the Capitol and also
inside the room last night. We heard people saying this is Nancy
Pelosi's one party rule. [Boehner: "Shame on this body. Shame on each
and every one of you."] We heard the Minority Leader Boehner say shame
on you. Shame on you. [Pelosi: "You know, some people will do anything
for the insurance companies."] You think that's the Minority Leader's
motive? [Pelosi: "Yes, I do."] His entire motive?

- As you know, there's great anxiety in the country about the
potential cost of this bill. We went back and looked and in 1967, the
projected cost by 1990 of Medicare was $12 billion. What really happened
is it was $107 billion, which is more than eight times what they
projected it would cost. What guarantee is there to the American people
that this won't similarly balloon out of control?

- But they didn't think Medicare would balloon out of
control and it did.

- When the Republicans say they can run against you in November and
this will be their ticket to win?

- The Economist said that you are arguably the most powerful woman in
American history. A Brown university professor has said you are
certainly the most powerful Speaker in one hundred years. [Pelosi: "That
sounds good. I don't take it personally, except I take it as a
compliment for all women."]

- [Showing Washington Post with "Democrats Claim Health Votes"
headline] What do you think your dad and your mom would have said about
this moment? [Pelosi: "Well, my brother called me. He was just so
thrilled that what mommy and daddy would think about this. Of course, I
believe they do know."]

- Did your dad have a phrase, a sentence that meant the
most to you when he'd say it to you, or your mom? [Pelosi: "Well, the
only thing that comes to my mind right now is 'make sure you have the
votes.'"]

- Not so sentimental!

Interview excerpts will run on Monday's Nightline
and Tuesday's Good Morning America.

- Brent Baker is Vice President for Research and Publications at
the Media Research Center. Click
here to follow him on Twitter.

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